Thu. 4/9 COVID-19 Daily Update

Local 5 on Facebook Live!

Every week, Local 5 will feature our members to share how they are keeping themselves busy in the safety of their homes. This week, Local 5 member Aina Iglesias, a frontdesk worker at Hilton DoubleTree Alana and an award-winning powerlifter, will share a quick workout routine!

 

Join us for our first ‘Local 5 on Facebook Live’ tomorrow, Friday 5pm!

 

News Highlights

COVID Cases Today

World: Cases: Cases: 1.6M (+120k).  Deaths: 95.7k (+7.2k).  Recovered: 354K (+24k)

USA: Cases: 465k(+34k).  Deaths: 16.6k (+1.8k).  Recovered: 30k (+6.1k)

Hawaii: Cases:  442(+7).  Deaths:  6 (+1).  Hospitalized: 42 (0). Recovered: 251 (+138)

 

 

Inside the Union Where Coronavirus Put 98% of Members Out of Work (propublica, April 9, 2020)

A long article detailing how the pandemic has impacted our UNITE HERE international union, locals and members.

 

Hawaii officials cannot say when state unemployment checks will include extra $600 federal payments (Star Advertiser, April 9, 2020)

– State officials cannot say how soon Hawaii’s unemployed workers will receive an extra $600 a week in federally promised benefits because they still haven’t been able to automate the state system to add the extra money to unemployment checks.

– The $600 federal payments  are supposed to be added to workers’ weekly unemployment benefits but DLIR said that similar “plus-up” payments in Hawaii in 2008 were added to unemployment checks manually, and 200k claims this time around make it impossible to add manually.

– DLIR is working to automate the process of adding the $600 to the state checks.

– People who file claims do not need to do anything to claim the extra benefit or the 13 weeks of extended benefits, DLIR said.

– the DLIR had received 207,126 unemployment filings — not counting duplicate filings and estimated 45,000 claims that have been filed are missing data, or “the data needs to be adjusted.”

– For right now we’re just trying to get the original claims through. At this point I cannot make a guess as to when that’s going to happen, DLIR’s Director Murakami said

 

Problems for newly unemployed shift from filing, to getting paid (Hawaii News Now, April 9, 2020)

– Those who have successfully made claims are now running into problem with updating the weekly certification requirements.

– DLIR is waiving the deadlines right now.

– Claimants are getting timed out or they can’t log on. DLIR will back date the weekly certifications if they’re not able to do it timely.

– The UI process that took 14 days before the coronavirus outbreak, is now taking about 21 days.

 

You filed an unemployment claim. Now what? Labor Department answers your questions (Hawaii News Now, April 9, 2020)

DLIR explains some of the tech issues slowing down their responses and answers the following three questions for applicants with some issues, view the article for more detailed answers to following questions:

– Claims have been denied without an explanation. What should they do to find out why? A: see article for response.

–  The job search requirements for those unemployed have now been waived, so why does the question still show up? A: just answer “yes” for being able and available to work.

– When can people expect to receive benefits? A: trying to get it done and checks out within 21 day timeline

 

City announces nighttime curfew for Easter weekend in push to keep people home (Hawaii  News Now, April 9, 2020)

Honolulu will have a night time curfew for wheeled vehicles during Easter Weekend from April 10th-12th, every night from 11pm to 5am and ending on Monday morning at 5am.  People can walk but can’t use bicycles, scooters or mopeds on the roads.  Exceptions to the curfew include emergencies and first responders, driving to and from work, those making deliveries, security personnel, and people picking up medication.